1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present invention relates to a wireless local area network (WLAN), more particularly to an apparatus and a method for providing a frame bridge of an access point.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a wireless local area network (WLAN) includes radio devices functioning as mobile stations and access points functioning as connectors to the stations.
To be properly applied to a wireless medium, each element forms a WLAN through a medium access control (MAC) protocol defined in IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 and a wireless network interface card (NIC) supporting a physical layer standard. An exemplary diagram for the above WLAN is shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a WLAN includes access points 4 and 5 and wireless stations STA 6, 7, and 8 connected with the access points. The access points 4 and 5 and the wireless stations 6, 7, and 8 construct a mutually connected structure in accordance with the MAC protocol standard and the physical layer standard defined in IEEE 802.11.
Each access point 4, and 5 relays a wired Internet service received from the Internet 1 to the wireless stations 6, 7, and 8 through a gateway 2 that is connected with a wired medium 3. Herein, the access point 4 functions as a bridge which relays a frame to a non directly connected wireless station 8 through the near access point 5 which is linked to the wired medium 3.
The access point in the WLAN of the above mentioned structure has generally the same function as a station. The access point provides the link service between the WLAN and a wired LAN so that each station may access a distribution system. Therefore the access point includes at least one wired LAN and at least one WLAN.
A frame bridge of the access point is to identify a MAC address of a is station and to transmit a frame to be relayed to the predetermined station. The access point provides the link service between a WLAN and a wired LAN by this frame bridge.
However, the frame bridge of the access point is available when at least one wired LAN is used or when a radio basic service set (BSS) is not supported.
In detail, it is difficult for an access point having one NIC (Network interface card) to operate its own wireless BSS and provide a wireless frame bridge with a near access point simultaneously through different channels.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore, unless explicitly described to the contrary, it should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.